Familiar
by Sigmasea
Summary: An AU where Tim and Jason are brothers and lived on the streets together before Bruce took them in. Because Batman and Robin were always distant and strange, yet... familiar. (gen/platonic relationship) HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

**J**ason sighed, his breath a smoky wisp as he glared around, scowling at the murky alleyway around them, disgusted. He looked down at his little brother, Tim, curled up and sleeping, leaned up against him and wrapped in his coat. Jason didn't mind; he had a long sleeve shirt and Tim's shirt was short-sleeved in the middle of winter. The last thing Jason need was for Tim to go hypothermic and die becuase he can't afford a hospital.

Jay sighed again, kissing his brother's messy, greasy black hair absently as he rubbed his arm in an effort to be warmer. He would never be so affectionate when Tim was wake or anyone was watching of course, but here and now, he could be mushy without fear of Tim rasing that damn eyebrow of his.

If he closed his eyes, he could hear his kid brother's breathing, and even his heartrate. He could hear screaming and crashes from upstairs in the building he was leaning on. But then, he heard a sound that was not part of the night, part of Crime Alley. Or maybe it was; he simply wasn't used to it. As far as he was concerned, the sound as alien, it stood out far more than any sirens or guns or fist fight or screaming ever could.

Someone was laughing. He craned his neck in time to see a sleek black car with pristine, fine, expensive tires roll past; though he didn't see the source of the happy sound that stuck like a sore thumb, he could guees now.. The Batmoblie. Heh. Bird boy, Robin. Forget him. Tires. Blackmarket. Money. _Food and shelter._

_He nudged Tim (who groaned, not happy with the prospect of waking up) and smirked to himself. Once they stopped, taking those tires was gonna be like taking candy from a baby._


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Wow. Just...wow. I didn't expect my story to have three followers (that I know of) on the same day I posted it. Big shout out thanks to CataclysmicIrony, **SherlockXHolmes23**, and **JimmyEdz **for reviewing. So, as you pointed out, it is short (I lose focus if I type the same story for too long) and so far I've only written Jason's POV. In this chapter I'll try to squeeze them both in, okay? Okay.**

**T**im screwed his eyelids tighter together, though he was wide awake via Jason's insistent nudging at his side. He knew if he didn't show some form of consciousness Jason would pinch his nose closed, sealing his airways until he stirred.

"Jason, if the alley isn't on fire I'm not getting up."

"Close; it's actually an earthquake. And if it causes a flood your skinny ass can't swim and _I_ ain't doin' mouth to mouth."

Tim sighed, opening his eyes, and stretching out along the brick wall behind him, shivering as Jason's leather jacket slipped off his shoulders a little, internally smiling at the pops his spine made. Jason stood up next to him, a full head taller, broad shouldered and muscled despite a lack of nutrition.

A big hand, well, big in comparison to his slender, scrawny fingers, found purchase in his mess of hair, ruffling the raven locks. If it were anyone else, even if Tim had a friend besides Jason, he would crouch down on his neck like a turtle, or sidestep the affection and blush beet red. But since it was Jason, his brother, all he had in the world, _his whole world_, he leaned into the touch.

"We gonna go jack someone's tires?"

"How'd ya know?"

"The ground usually shakes a little more when there's an earthquake. " Even from in front of him (they were walking out of the alley and down the sidewalk now) Jason could _hear_ the smirk in the smug little punk's voice.

"Smartass."

Tim laughed, tire iron dangling loosely at his side. Tim's laugh, and laughs similar to his, were not like the bird boy's laughs; laughs like Tim's were not uncommon. Because when Tim or Jason laughed it was always at someone's stupidity, something bittersweet and humorless, and-or their own banter. It was not so much a laugh as it was a big release of air, rivuleted to make a noise that sounded like a laugh. Not a joyful sound. Bittersweet, like salt mixed in honey or eating pretzels after eating a lot of sugar. Bittersweet.

It was in their sights now, a beautiful car, black and sleek like a raven and sitting there, oh-so innocently and vulnerable. Jason smirked, walking across the street with his little brother in tow, taking the cinderblocks from underneath the desolate apartment (adjacent to the Batmobile) and hefting them over the curb.

Tim smirked, he loved this part. Or rather, the part right after this where they either got to run while shouting obscenities or stand from a distance and watch the person scratch their head at the mystery of their missing tires and the two smiling, dirty, greasy boys across the street, snickering happily.

Jason took the rusty iron from his hand on got to work on the side facing the street while Tim stood, blocking him from view while looking as innocent as a homeless kid on Crime Alley standing in the street at midnight can look. He was good at it, too.

A black shadow, foreboding and ominous slid over him and his eyes widened as what he thought was some kind of person appeared and stalked closer.

"Uh, J-J-Jason..."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Jason still calls Tim baby bird, just saying. Email is being stupid so I can't thank my reviewer(s) by name, but you know you are and I'll name you next chapter.**

**T**he shadow loomed closer, and though not too close, Tim felt his back arch instinctively away from the unknown yet threatening force. Suddenly there was a sweeping motion, some sort of fabric it seemed, and there was nothing. Just him, Jason, the car and the buzzing, flickering street lamp.

"I don't see anything. You know Crime Alley's criminals aren't subtle enough to just disappear, so keep an eye out for the Bat, okay?" Tim nodded, knowing Jason was watching his shadow across the side of the car.

Tim's eyes sweeped the pavement opposite his warily. That cape had almost been close enough to touch his face. Was it even real? Did that even just happen? Or did he inhale some of what the rest of Crime Alley was smoking?

He shuffled, looking casual as if he were only to affirm something he glanced at from the other side of the street as Jason moved to the next tire, using his leg to help elivate the car long enough for Jason to slide in the cinderblock.

The shaodw fell like a cloak at almost the same time the voice appeared, raspy, like sandpaper on gravel.

"Unreal." Tim spun around, eyes wide to a comical degree, and kicked Jason with the tip of his worn out sneaker.

"'What is it? There better be someone coming, baby bird. I've almost got it loose," Jason looked up, then swallowed, eyes dialated but not so much as Tim's and passed him the tire iron secretively.

"Who are you?" The Dark Knight loomed over the brothers, intimidationg both but only Tim was showing any of his fear; Jason was cocky as always.

"Who are _you? Could it possibly be, the big bad Dark Night? I'm trembling,"_

_Tim seemed to sever from his fear induced trance long enough to nudge Jason forcefully._

_Bruce meanwhile watching them interact, was examining them. "Jason" looked strong, but malnourished, and "baby bird" was just small and apparently scared for his life, a matter Jason's provoction didn't help._

_"When is the last time you ate?" Even Jason looks surprised; now it's Tim's turn to be suspicious and skeptical. "I dunno. What's it to you?" _

_"Come with me."_


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you my beautiful reviewers! I love you all, so here's a nice big chapter! And no, I'm not to bother saying I don't own DC because taking me to court over a **_**fanfiction**_** would never hold up anyhow. Also, if you haven't "Beautiful" by Eminem, go listen to it! 's a great song! Next chapter Dick appears as Nightwing!**

The various buttons and compass and advanced GPS's inside the Batmobile intimidated Tim as he looked around, Jason right beside him on the seat that was small, but big enough. When Batman hit thegas, the stores and gangs and people and lights whirred by at nuesiating speed.

He leaned back against the seat, trying to get away from the window, and rubbed at his eyelids. Batman was saying something, he was sure, but then Jason answered and Tim deduced the question wasn't aimed at him. Falling asleep in a totals starnger's car wasn't a good idea, but Batman was a good guy, right? And besides, Jay was always there to protect him. Always.

Jason felt Tim's tense arms slowly relax beside him, the rise and fall of his chest regulated and slower now. "What's his name?" Jason swallows, feeling like cooperating for a change. "Tim."

"You have any parents?" Bruce knows the answer to this one before he asks it. These kids may have a biological mother and father, but one look at their diry faces and greasy hair said they had no parents. His trained ears pick up the sound of Jason scoffing softly. "They hit Tim. So hard that the mark on his is still there. They hit me too. So, I woke Tim up and we climbed through the window to the fire escape and never looked back.

Jason wasn't sure why he immediately felt so _comfortable around this person. It just felt right, to be talking to him and whatnot. He hears Tim grunt quietly next to him and ruffles his hair. _

_When Tim wakes up, he is in a bed. This comes as such a shock he almost has a heart attack, right there, because he has never been in a comfortable bed in his life. He is accustomed to brick walls anf fire escapes; the mattress feels strange and foreign beneath his spine. The second thing his notices (courtesy of the mirror facing the bed) is that he is clean. _

_His hair is not greasy, but still unruly and wild (no hair brush could conquer it) but it was no longer oily and dirty; nor was his face or hands. He was wearing clean clothes, too, a flannel noght shirt and cottom pajama pants to match. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and immediately fell on his ass, not expecting the height of the bed, either._

_Making his way to the door (it was still outside, said a window on the far side of the room) he turned to knob and set off down the hallway. He was going to find Jason, though his memory was returning to him ,he still eanted his sibling's reassurance. _

_The only thing distracting him is a large room filled with books, making him think of Beowulf, the one he had been searching for for weeks now. He was happy to find that the books were arranged in alphabetical order, and from what he new, it was on one of the higher shelves. He climbed the ladder like he had so many times at the only library in Crime Alley. The books up this high were old and leather-bound with worn spines. He unshelfed one book after another, resting them on his arm, becuase, though he was looking for Beowulf, these books all seemed interesting as well._

_He was really starting to enjoy himself, his pile of books quite large now, and was planning on going down to devour them when a throat cleared somewhere behind him, startling him off of his perch and sending him down along the ladder to the unforgiving floor below. It knocked the breath out of him, but he did not let go of a single book, cradling them to his chest. He tilted his head against the floor to see an upside-down butler with a moustache and almost no hair. "Master Timothy, I presume?" Tim could only stare dumbly._


End file.
